How to Eat and Drink like Queen Elizabeth

New details about the Queen’s daily diet have emerged, and it includes more than a few cocktails and lots of sweet treats.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is 91 years old and shows zero signs of slowing down. So what’s the secret to her enviable energy? Four cocktails a day, apparently!

The English monarch has a very specific diet and essentially eats the same thing every single day. But whether it’s healthy or not is a whole different matter.

According to Business Insider, her Royal Majesty throws back four alcoholic drinks daily, starting with a gin and Dubonnet with a slice of lemon (how regal, right?) before the clock even strikes noon.

The day officially starts with a very British pot of Earl Grey tea (no milk, no sugar) served to her in a bone china cup with a side of biscuits (cookies). Next up is breakfast, consisting of cereal: According to The Telegraph, her go-to is Special K, which she likes stored in Tupperware containers to ensure freshness, and fruit. Sometimes she even throws some toast and marmalade into the mix — and it’s apparently common knowledge that all jam in Buckingham Palace comes from Wilkin & Sons. Sometimes she even has a hankering for scrambled eggs (she prefers brown eggs, because she thinks they taste better) with smoked salmon and truffle — because why not? She’s the Queen!

Then comes the first drink of the day (the aforementioned gin and Dubonnet), which she follows with a “simple” lunch. According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, her Majesty enjoys grilled Dover sole with wilted spinach or courgettes (what Brits call zucchini) and sometimes grilled chicken with salad, a glass of wine and a nibble of dark chocolate. The Queen’s cousin, Margaret Rhodes, stated that a dry gin martini is also on her lunch menu.

So that’s three drinks by the time lunch is finished. Then comes a traditional English afternoon tea, which involves tea (obviously) as well as finger sandwiches like cucumber, smoked salmon, egg and mayonnaise or ham and mustard (crusts removed!) along with biscuits, scones and cakes. No cocktails with this meal.

For dinner she enjoys a piece of meat or fish (fillets of beef or venison, pheasant or salmon sourced from local farms) but is also partial to a traditional Sunday roast served well-done, followed by locally grown strawberries and peaches. Another interesting tidbit about Queen Elizabeth’s diet is she avoids potatoes, pasta and rice when dining solo. Very trendy!

She then enjoys the last drink of the day — a nightcap of fancy Champagne. All of this adds up to six alcohol units a day.

So how healthy is it to eat like the Queen?

“First thing in the morning, tea is a great choice, but I’d suggest swapping something with protein in place of the biscuits,” says Patricia Bannon, M.S., RDN. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that those who ate protein at breakfast said they felt satisfied longer than those who ate the same amount of protein at other meals.

“Coupling a healthy protein choice with veggies for lunch (e.g., grilled chicken with salad or fish with vegetables) is a smart choice for nutrient and weight management,” Bannon continues. “In terms of her meat-heavy dinner, I’d suggest limiting red meat (preferably lean cuts) to a once or twice a week and opting for seafood (like the salmon she eats) more often. Including a side of vegetables with dinner will also add fiber and nutrients and keep her feeling fuller longer.”

And what about all those drinks?

“The gin and Dubonnet before lunch is fine once in a while, but if she’s watching her weight, it’s adding about 150 to 250 empty calories to her daily diet,” Bannon says. On the other hand, the Queen is an active 91-year-old. She’s obviously doing something right!

So there you have it. Remember that when it comes to alcohol, moderation is key.